Gaze and Prey
by AbyssalStarlight
Summary: He saved her in the worst of ways on a moonlit night when she was a child, and he was a mindless beast. You never know how much an impact the person you hear of will have on your life. When Ezra heard of him, she would never know the revolution life would take, for better or worse. (Formerly known as "Always and Always")
1. i

_**"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."**_

_**-Henry David Thoreau**_

"Ezra Lynette Potter I was named." I chanted into the darkness as if my life depended on it, sweating cold sweat... my dreams visited me exceptionally harsh this particular night. They have haunted me since I can remember only more vivid at times. More times than what I would want, I found myself collapsed in an alleyway on the nights I sleepwalk.

They always leave me feeling a strange foreboding, as if I weren't the person I am. My aunt immediately dismissed my concerns like she always did.

"Freak" she would mutter as she turned away.

Right now I awoke from one of those dreams to see a large spider looking right at me. I don't mind them much, I am accustomed to them since there are many in the storage house I live in.

Nevertheless I never became fond of them since the mere thought of something staring at me without my knowledge gave me chills.

My aunt and uncle, Petunia and Vernon Durlsey put me there when I started walking. My parents died in a car crash according to Petunia and I never knew them.

They make my brother and I do many chores around the house and call us freaks because of bizarre occurrences that Harry and I have done.

One time a teacher was being very unfair and the next moment her hair had turned a horrendous shade of pink and yellow and another time a car almost ran over me but I found myself transported out of its reach without moving a muscle.

The worst time was the man I had murdered in self defense, for he was trying to rape me. What alarmed me the most was my lack of remorse. I put it off as shock but 7 months of shock was a bit extensive. Not that he had been deserving of life considering the gruesome things he had planned for me and countless others. Nobody knew of it though, not even my brother.

I used to voice my thoughts on how I thought magic was real but the Dursleys and their son Dudley always jeered at me and said magic didn't exist.

I considered myself to have a rebellious spirit so I continued to attempt at "magic" without their knowledge, knowing that one day I would prove them all wrong.

My brother and I are twins, we might be similar in physical appearance with only eye and hair color being marginally different but that's as far as the similarities got.

Our personality was so different that it was laughable. I might have wanted to fit in and be like Harry before even if he was a misfit himself but I stopped thinking like that.

These close-minded people of the world were pathetic, they only cared for their own hides and attacked the different. If I would be fought with fire, I would respond with my own, and more powerful.

I felt like sneering at myself whenever I felt a rush of fondness for my brother, I never let any people in, adults didn't care and other kids were only snobby and wanted to show off. I had been through a lot with him and it majorly scared me to think someone could exploit my weakness through him but I would be damned if I let anything happen to us.

OoOoooOoooOoooOoo

"Harry pass me those cookies!" I hissed, since it was Dudley's birthday everything would be in a disarray in the kitchen, therefore stealing food would be easier.

I thought it was horrid that I had to steal food so that I wouldn't go through hunger pangs, I always saw mothers buying their children a good quantity of food but in this household the food went to three of its occupants and it wasn't Harry and I.

"Comb your hair!" Vernon suddenly barked at Harry, having entered the kitchen.

I couldn't hold in my snigger, maybe my humor was twisted but I thought it was funny, my uncle always seemed to say that as if he were a machine. I had the same texture as Harry's hair except since mine was long so it made it look acceptable.

"What did you say?" he growled at me suddenly very close, it was not a pretty sight, I could see his triple chin move with every word and his oversized face.

"Nothing sir, I burned my hand on the stove cooking your meal but that was all- sir." knowing that if I somehow added I got myself injured, it would make them satisfied, while putting my best innocent face.

Half yelling, "Well then get on with it, you stupid girl." he finally waddled away.

"Close one, except you were taking the bacon out and not cooking." whispered Harry

"Whatever, it's not like he would ever notice anything."

After we finished preparing the Dursley's meal, we finally got to sit at the table and eat the scraps we were allowed.

Trying to not show my sleep deprived face knowing that Petunia would take that as an accomplishment since she seemed to try her hardest to give us nightmares with the kind of voice she woke us up, I started eating my food fast knowing that Dudley was about to throw a tantrum.

"Thirty-six." he said, looking up at his precious mommy and daddy. "That's two less than last year."

"Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's under this big one from Mummy and Daddy."

Aunt Marge was a foul bitch, her stupid dog grew a grudge when I had tried to strangle it, in my defense that dog had tried to bite me but apparently that counted for nothing.

"All right, thirty-seven then." said Dudley, his fat face reddening just like his father's did when angry. Or when they didn't understand something, which was often.

Petunia, obviously saw him going into a fit because she quickly interjected, "And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's that popkin? Is that alright?"

Dudley seemed to think, he was trying to do math but then again he would never even know what two plus two was. "So I'll have thirty... thirty..."

"Thirty-nine, sweetums." said Petunia.

"Oh... all right then." responded Dudley.

Sometimes I wonder.

Suddenly the conversation turned towards us, apparently no one was available to take us in while the Dursley's brought Dudley and his friend to the zoo.

"You could just leave us here." put in Harry, clearly hopefully.

I had zoned out so I had no idea where the conversation had turned, I did hope they would leave us home alone so I could hack Vernon's porn account which he had zero knowledge of that I knew.

Remembering that day made me shudder in disgust, I had been sneaking around the pantry, looking for food when I heard grunting coming from the living room. Curious I had stumbled across my uncle watching a horrid video of people doing things, while he stroked himself.

Luckily he had been to engrossed in the curvy form of the woman that he hadn't heard my noise of disgust. It seemed since that day, that he started seeing that every night since she could dimly remember hearing him groan as I crept along the shadows in my sleep induced walks.

Since then however, the malicious desire to either expose that to Petunia since she was oblivious and would be horrified or cancel his account had burned in my mind. It would be a small payback of what he had done to them throughout 10 years.

Alas, it seemed that it would not be happening today as they begrudgingly admitted defeat and said they could come.

"I... don't ... want... them...t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled in between fake sobs.

Well someone certainty wasn't taking it well.

Bawling his eyes out to his parents always did the trick however his friend arrived at that moment so he couldn't continue.

I sent him a nasty grin of my own as a reply to the one he had given us earlier.

As Dudley and his friend Piers got loaded in the car, Vernon got upon our face for the second time today and gave us and oh so scary warning about locking is up until Christmas if we did something "funny."

I suppose he did mean it, I had been shut in for three weeks, with Harry providing me with the meager food and water, he could find. It did keep me alive but the thought that the Dursley's hadn't checked to see if I was alive was not comforting considering three weeks like that could have killed me.

He gave a critical eye to my forehead, checking to see it my lightning bolt scar was covered up with the only thing they had given me: a one dollar concealer to hide the scar I have had since forever. They thought it was "freaky" and no one could have that.

Apparently I had gotten it the day my parents died in the so called car crash but unless some psychopath had gotten to the wreck before the police and liked carving symbols in the flesh of baby girls than I have no idea as to how I had gotten it.

A green flash did replay in my head but for that I was completely at loss as to what kind of car accident involved that.

OoOoooOoooOoooOoo

Arriving at the zoo was chaos with all the ruckus Dudley and Piers were doing. After entering Harry and I separated from them in case they decided to play "Harry plus Ezrie Hunting" which involved chasing and beating us up if caught. I felt a pang of pity for Dudley's future wife.

Unfortunately Dudley decided to head over to the reptile house were we where going with his company, so we were stuck with them for more time.

After rudely awaking a snake from its slumber they left.

The snake was staring intently at me when I walked in front of it. For some reason I wanted speak to him so I did.

"Hello handsome, where do you come from?"

I noticed Harry peering at me curiously but paid him no mind.

The snake seemed to like that though so he pointed his tail to a sign next to the glass:

Male, Boa Constrictor, Brazil

"I want to visit someday. Was it nice there?" I murmured.

He jabbed his tail again and I saw that he had been zoo bred according to another sign.

"Well I hope that one day you will be able to go, I imagine it must be-"

"DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WONT _BELIEVE_ WHAT IT'S DOING!" screeched Piers.

Dudley and him ran or more like hobbled in Dudley's case and pressed their faces against the glass.

The poor snake hissed at them when he saw the shove that had sent Harry and Ezra stumbling to the ground.

Feeling a sense of viciousness I wondered what would happen if Dudders ended up in- oh dear.

A good piece of large and thick glass had literally vanished. If that wasn't magic then I don't know what is.

Startled Dudley and Piers fell forward into the murky waters where a rapidly ascending snake had slept.

The boa constrictor winked at me as I whispered "Good luck, handsome."

Snickering I sat up as I noticed the glass had appeared just at the right moment when Vernon arrived to get his son out, it hit him in the face with a loud smack.

In between the riot I noticed Harry staring at me in a strange way, "What's the matter?" I questioned.

"You are aware that you were hissing the entire time, you technically just spoke snake language or something."

"No... I was speaking English" I trailed off uncertainty as he gave me a look that clearly said that no I was indeed having a conversation with a snake which should be impossible.

_Splendid another odd ability._

OoOoooOoooOoooOoo

We both got thrown in our makeshift cells, Harry in the cupboard, me in the storage room with Dudley's old bicycles and whatnot.

No matter how much I protested that Harry didn't have to do with it, Vernon's unrelenting grip on our arms shut me up.

I miserably looked around the darkness, I liked the darkness, it made me feel comfortable and safe. However when I was locked in and I didn't have Harry's comfort with me nor did he have mine it made me feel horrid.

Not to mention having time to think made me remember more of the night my parents died, the memories that didn't match up with a car accident, it made me doubt the truth and doubting myself was something I couldn't stand.

I remember hearing high cold laughter and while that could have been anything I somehow know it pertains to the night of my parents death.

Not to mention the more I became enveloped in my thoughts the more vivid the dreams would come when I fell asleep.

It wasn't fair, 10 horrid years I had been living here with Harry and life was horrid. I didn't know any other style of living but I could tell there were better ways, nevertheless as I saw children out with their parents.

Outside we got shunned by the Dursley's as they tried to act as if they didn't know us in the rare times they brought us out.

A few instances they were forced to notice us at least when random people came up to us.

I remembered it vividly the first time was when I had forgotten to cover my scar and Aunt Petunia hadn't noticed either. A stout man came up to me and kissed my hand that day.

The next time, I wore my concealer but wiped it off when we got to the bookstore just to see when an old couple came up to Harry and I and bowed. That's when I knew that my scar had to do with something.

It had happened more times but every time these people seemed to harbor great respect for us even if we didn't know what it was for.

The Dursley's were the opposite, no matter how good I did in school, they had even offered to skip me a grade level or Harry which was so good in running in his P. E class, we would never amount to anything.

"But then again life isn't fair" a voice whispered in my mind.

**This fanfic will start out very canon, however progressing into the story you will notice more and more differences.**

**Reviews welcome.**

**Beta not available. Feedback on grammar and spelling highly welcomed.**

**Music theme: Globus- Mighty Rivers Run.**

**All rights belong to J. K. Rowling.**


	2. ii

_**"We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them."**_

_**-Epictetus**_

Summer holidays had started by the time we were allowed out of the cupboard and storage room.

Dudley had his whole gang in tow therefore we stayed clear of their path after a relieved reunion between Harry and I.

It didn't make sense how Dudley had even gotten to be the leader of said "gang." He was the most stupid of the bunch and it seemed the more stupid and grades you fail the higher ranking you got. It was only fear of getting beaten up that people didn't mess with them at school.

Sitting at the kitchen, mail coming through was heard.

"Get the mail, Dudley." grunted Uncle Vernon from behind his paper, hearing said grunt made me remember of those other "grunts" he had given while watching his computer screen for a different reason.

"Make Harry get it."

"Get the mail Harry."

"Make Dudley get it."

"Hit him with your Smelting stick Dudley"

Smelting was the name of the private school Dudley would go to, they gave them sticks to carry around for some reason, it had been vomit inducing to watch Petunia croon over him while taking pictures earlier this day, Harry and Ezra would be going to some public school that seemed to have hygiene problems.

With Vernon's grunt still in mind, Ezra got up to get the mail before Harry, she did not want to be in her Uncle's presence while remembering his nightly activities.

Seeing the mail on the doormat was something common, however two letters for Harry and Ezra had never happened.

Their they lay innocently, as if the one for her was begging to be opened.

Picking it up she felt how thick and heavy the envelope actually was, made of yellowish parchment and on it, my address address was written with emerald ink:

Ms. E. Potter  
The Storage Room in the patio  
4 Privet Drive  
Little Whinging  
Surrey

Turning it over I saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms: a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter H. Hurriedly I opened it before Vernon could notice the prolonged time it was taking me to get the mail. It read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

Dear Ms. Potter,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed-

"Hurry up, girl!" bellowed Vernon.

Hissing in annoyance, I tucked the letter in between my shirt hoping that it wasn't noticeable and walked in.

I passed the mail towards him but discreetly gave Harry his own and made a shushing gesture.

The last thing we needed was attention because Harry had made some loud exclaim of surprise.

I wish I could have hidden it like the other letter put the envelope was too thick so it would definitely be noticeable.

Unfortunately attention was what we got.

"Ezra gave a letter to Harry dad!" exclaimed Dudley drawing two pairs of eyes towards us.

Times like these was when I wished Dudley would go to hell and back to back again and stay there.

Vernon snatched the letter away from Harry ignoring his exclaim of "That's mine!" Sneering he opened it and the only expression on his face, rapidly changing colors was horror.

"P- P- Petunia!" he gasped.

Dudley attempted to grab the letter but he had already given it to Petunia.

The same horror reflected on her face.

"Vernon! Oh my goodness - Vernon!"

Honestly these two were made for each other, they probably met in drama class.

"_I_ want to read the letter." Dudley proclaimed loudly.

"I want to read it," said Harry clearly furious "as it's _mine_"

"Get out, all three of you." croaked Vernon

I compliantly started walking away, cheering internally for I had my own letter and judging by the similarities, it would probably be the same as Harry's.

I paused as I noticed neither of my companions had moved.

"I WANT MY LETTER!" shouted Harry

"Let _me_ see it." whined Dudley

"OUT" roared Vernon and took them by the scruffs of their necks and flung them into the hall.

Ezra seeing that they would shut the door was horrified when Petunia said "Vernon let the girl in here." she clearly suspected that Ezra had gotten her own.

Suddenly the weight of the letter seemed to double and the stiffness I carried myself with so that the envelope wouldn't poke out through her shirt seemed like a clear sign of my guilt.

Vernon dragged me to Petunia none too gently and I was aware of the noise the boys made as they fought for a good spot to listen at the door.

"Did. You. Get. A. Letter?" Petunaia half gasped, furiously emphasizing each word.

"No" I replied simply. I was a practiced liar, I lied to my relatives faces on a daily basis. Except it was one thing to lie about digested food than something I literally had on me.

"Do not lie to me!" She screamed, shaking me by the shoulders as if it would make me pour out all my secrets "I know you got one too, WHERE IS IT?"

At that moment the letter fell out of my shirt, no longer hidden. I silently cursed at Petunia for having shaken me.

Vernon wasted no time as he grabbed the letter and smacked me across the face.

No. One. Ever. Laid. A. Hand. On. Me.

I gave a scream of rage as I threw myself at him, punching him in the face while taking a grab and the letters. I was assisted by "magic" or an ethereal force because I would never have the force to actually break his nose with a nauseating crack.

He tackled me to the ground as I ran with the letters, if I couldn't have them then he wouldn't either.

Between our mad grab for the letters, It would be a wonder if you couldn't hear Petunia's scream across the entire neighborhood. But even with all the noise, the rip, as the letters were torn apart by us pulling at both sides was heard.

He moved quickly as he hauled me up and sat me in a chair. It looked as if he were to have a stroke and his bloody nose didn't help. I would gladly welcome his death anyway.

"How much did you read?" he growled in my face, smelling strongly of the pastries he had been eating.

"I didn't read anything" I gasped back, my chest hurting were he had landed above me.

Thankfully the letters had been torn so they wouldn't have evidence of my open envelope. On the other hand I would not know what it said.

Grabbing me again he half dragged me across the house as he threw me in the storage room.

I caught Harry's eye as I went by and tired to give him a reassuring look despite my reddening cheek.

No more than thirty minutes had passed when Petunia informed me in a clipped voice, I would be moved to Dudley's old room to live with Harry who had just moved there from his cupboard.

It was an idiotic move considering that I had just hit Vernon and I would tell Harry all I had read. They probably did it to overhear me confess in a loud voice as if I were stupid like their own son but a bigger reason was probably because the people sending the letters knew where we slept.

They didn't want to be found guilty of child neglect after all.

Harry was sitting on a makeshift bed he had made on the floor out of blankets since there was only one bed.

"Harry you didn't have to do that, you can take the bed." I tried to reason with him.

"No, no, and no, I will take the floor."

Knowing how stubborn he was, I came up with a compromise.

"Fine we'll alternate, you get the floor today but the bed tomorrow."

Defeated by reason, he forced out a yes.

Vernon came up with his tool box, grinning madly as he started installing bolts and locks on the door.

I knew they would be nothing for me, as I always went out while sleepwalking despite the locks on the storage room. I somehow unlocked the without effort even while asleep.

"Don't be alarmed when I sleepwalk or start dreaming Harry." I warned him.

"Okay, but what did your letter say? I know you must have read something."

Deciding now must be a good time to tell him since the Dursley's wouldn't hear over the sounds of a hammer I told him.

"But for all we know it could be a prank, I know we have special abilities but we don't know if it's actually magic."

"Except their reactions don't fit Ezra, clearly it was more than a prank for them to show so much emotion."

"Well yes but-" he cut me off.

"It is obvious since Uncle Vernon has never hit you like this before."

I growled at the memory, the tender left side of my face now black with a blue hue.

"Yes, only I ripped the letters during the fight, now we will never know how the ended."

OoOoooOoooOoooOoo

Many more letters came, through every possible way, Vernon shut the mail slot and Dudley whined about his old bedroom.

On Saturday, while Vernon gave his happy "no mail today speech" a letter caught him on the head as it came whizzing out of the chimney.

Hordes of them came pelting out, sixty or eighty, half addressed to me and half for Harry. Ezra simply picked the first one that landed on the floor while Harry tried to catch one. Just as I was about to open a letter Vernon gruffly yanked me up and through me in the hall.

"That does it" rumbled my Uncle while pulling out tufts of his mustache, "I want you all back here I give minutes ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes, no argument."

No one said anything, it was deplorable how Petunia didn't put something in of her own, actually during all of my life I have never heard her talk back to him. She was a perfect submissive housewife. Pathetic, I thought, I will never be like that.

Ezra had to half sit in her brothers lap since Dudley took up seat and a half in the backseat of the car.

They drove and drove until they arrived at a hotel. As they got ready to sleep I worked myself up into a panic attack, I dreaded sleeping because I knew I would dream and sleepwalk and that wouldn't bode well with the Dursley's.

I didn't want them to see me in a moment of weakness.

A knock came at the door and a young lady held two letters, each for Harry and Ezra.

"Excuse me, but is there a Mr. H. Potter and Ms. E. Potter here? I have about a hundred of these up front."

Harry made a mad dash for them but Vernon pushed him out of the way. I tried to ignore the pang of anger towards the man.

"Yes I will take them." he replied.

The lady stared.

The only good thing was that he immediately decided they would leave and I was good at controlling when not to sleep especially in a car, so it meant I could stall the upcoming disaster of sleepwalking in front of my relatives until we came to a stop at a hotel.

But Vernon had other plans. He decided they would sleep in the car at an old looking parking lot in front of a small town shopping center.

Harry's horrified look reflected my own.

Vernon left the car and went into one of the shops.

I was lethargic half of the time since sleepwalking made me feel as if I hadn't gotten any rest, therefore I was tired and sleepy which was not a good combination for staying awake the whole night. This was problematic indeed.

Sleepwalking out of the car. Not good.

Abruptly Vernon came back with a long rectangular package and crammed it in the car. The alarming part however was his cheerful attitude.

"Found the perfect place for tonight, no measly letters will get in there." at this he pointed at a wretched looking shack sitting on top of a rock out in the sea.

"I will die tonight" was a frantic chant in my mind. All of my senses screamed not to go there. Nothing would block my way from sleepwalking my way into the deep ocean where I would drown. No railing, no police, nothing.

"This young gentleman has allowed me to borrow his boat." he finished happily. Of course he would only be polite when it was beneficial towards him. I looked at a youthful man with suntanned features and wondered if his boat would hold up to the combined weight of Dudley and Vernon.

Climbing up the rock while getting a face full of salt water sprayed at us all ended up being the most difficult part of our trek, we arrived at a wooden door that looked as if a three year old could knock down.

"No stupid letters in here." Vernon was whispering as if possessed. Petunia laid some blankets on the couch for Dudley, made the bed for Vernon and her, while Harry and Ezra got the thinnest blanket on the questionable looking floor.

"Harry, I'm too young to die, if I sleepwalk I could find myself falling off- oh Harry what will I do, I can't hold back sleep, oh gosh." was my desperate whisper to Harry in the darkness.

"I noticed that also, but maybe you do have self preservation subconsciously, after all you have never been hit by a car when you walk around the neighborhood." This calmed me down a bit but not much.

"Happy Birthday" he said out of the blue.

"What?" I questioned, dumbfounded.

"You completely forgot our birthdays didn't you. Ezra think, today is July 30, in 4 minutes we will be eleven." he responded dryly.

Well he did have a point there, except I had lost all track of time and birthday's with everything going on. Not to mention it wasn't as if we had ever gotten any type of present or celebration.

"Thank you for being my brother Harry."

"I could never have asked for a better sister than you Ezra." he softly breathed out.

I wasn't comfortable with these situations, opening up and giving emotional statements never came easily to me but this was Harry, and if someone would hear anything like that, come from me it would be him.

"Did you just hear that?" I asked sharply, the moment gone.

"Yes" he said, sitting up.

It was as if something was out there, if judging by the noises. I caught a glimpse a Dudley's watch on his fat wrist. One second until we turn eleven.

A large BOOM was heard as someone knocked on the door. "_Or definitely a something_" a little voice in her head decided to speak up "_Oh shut up_" I thought back, wondering if I had finally lost it.

A second, more powerful BOOM resonated throughout the shack, making the door tremble under its force.

I quickly dragged Harry to a dark corner in the room, in case whatever was out there knocked the door down and attacked.

"No Ezra let me go I want to-"

"Shut up" I replied through gritted teeth, knocking his hand away.

"I don't care how brave you might be, we will not be in the path of whatever is out there"

By now Dudley had awoken and Vernon came skidding to a stop next to his son carrying a rifle with his wife in tow behind him.

Well mystery solved as to what was in that package then.

"Who's there?" he shouted "I warn you - I'm armed!"

The next second, the door collapsed under a third hit with a deafening crash.

**Reviews welcome.**


	3. iii

_**We forget: In life, it doesn't matter what happens to you or where you came from. It matters what you do with what happens and what you've been given."**_

_**-Ryan Holiday**_

Being scared is a foreign emotion to me, and it still was. When I was cornered, I lashed out, therefore I stayed hidden in the shadows, ready to attack.

An enormous man was standing in the doorway. His face was obscured by hair to rival a lion's and a wild tangled beard as if he came out of the wild himself. You could still see his eyes though, dark as onyx under all his hair.

I was crouched in the kitchen, peering through the side while holding Harry from making an appearance. I held a butcher knife I had found in the abandoned kitchen in a steady grip, ready for use if the case came.

I had already killed a man, this would be no different if not worse if he threatened both myself and my brother.

"Where's Ezuh and Harry" he grunted after having walked in and casually sat himself on the couch. I cringed at horrid pronunciation when he said my name. He was looking for us, all the more reason to stay hidden. However my brother had other plans.

Too rapid for me to catch, Harry was out of my grasp and into the open.

"Get back here!" I hissed quietly, but the giant had already spotted him.

"Ah here's Harry" I couldn't see Harry's expression but he didn't respond.

"Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," I had OCD over grammar, hence this stranger made me want to rip my hair out.

Harry remained silent.

"Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mum's eyes, now were would Ezuh be? Is she hidin-"

Deciding he would find me anyway, I walked out in the open, revealing myself. "No sir, I am right here, if I may be so bold to ask, who would you be?" I always had a way with words and I would not go mouthing off to some giant when he clearly had the superior hand even if I did have a knife tucked in my sweater sleeve.

He chuckled "True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid."

"Ah Ezuh, ye look mighty like yer mum with her eyes an all" he intoned, at this he pulled out an abused box and seemed torn as to who to give it to.

Eventually I suspiciously grabbed it, inside was a chocolate cake with _Happy Birthday Ezra and Harry_ written messily on it.

This was their first birthday gift.

"But who are you?" Harry finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts I am" I gave a jolt at that but kept my face neutral.

"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" rasped Vernon while pointing the rifle at him. "You are breaking and entering!"

"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said Hagrid, while jerking the gun out of Vernon's hands, folded it into itself as it were clay and threw it in a corner of the room.

He brought out all sorts of things and lit a fire with his pink umbrella that he carried at his side.

I twitched at that, fire had literally spewed out of a bloody _umbrella_ and made a cozy fire in which he fried sausages he had pulled out of his pocket.

Silence reigned until he passed 6 sausages towards Harry and Ezra, he immediately wolfed them down but Ezra, still suspicious didn't make a move to touch them.

It had taken all of my self control to not rip them out of Harry's grasp, showing direct suspicion would only alert the enemy.

The knife's comforting weight reminded me if Harry showed any poison symptoms at all, that giant would find himself at the end of it.

"I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are." inquired Harry

"Call me Hagrid," he said "everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I work at Hogwarts - yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o' course."

Before Harry could screw us up, I interjected, "No we don't know about Hogwarts, care to explain?"

Hagrid looked shocked.

"Sorry." Harry quickly muttered.

"Sorry?" barked Hagrid "It's them who should be sorry! But Ezuh yeh opened yer letter- I never thought yeh wouldn't know abou' Hogwarts for Merlins sake! Did yeh ever wonder where yer parents learned it all?"

"What are you talking about, sir?" and "All what?" was heard as Ezra and Harry asked a question at the same time.

I could see Hagrid was going into rage, I have lived with the Dursley's for so long I could spot one from miles away, so I backed away, not wanting to get the burnt of it.

"ALL WHAT?" Hagrid thundered.

"Do you mean ter tell me," he growled at the Dursley's, that these children know nothin' - about ANYTHING?"

Ezra had an inkling of suspicion that he was not referring reading and math.

"That we know nothing about _what_?" I berated myself for losing a bit of the cool facade but immediately brought it back up.

He still heard my snappy tone and answered.

"About _our_ world, I mean. _Your_ world. _My_ world. _Yer parents' world_."

"Excuse me?" I trailed of as I saw his wild face.

"DURSLEY!" he bellowed. Vernon had a constipated expression on his now pale face.

"But yeh must know about yer mum and dad," he said "I mean they're famous. You two are famous, especially you Ezra." He broke off as he caught sight of my forehead.

"Where is your scar Ezuh?" He asked quietly.

Alarmed at his knowledge about a scar, I rubbed away at the concealer, exposing my lightning bolt scar to him, he seemed to grow very serious when he didn't see it so I decided not to retaliate.

"How do you know about it and what is its significance- sir?" I added in afterthought.

"All in good time, first you need to know about what you are, what your parents were."

Vernon chose that moment to speak up.

"Stop" he commanded "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell them anything!"

"You never told them? Never told them what was in the letter Dumbledore left for them? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from them all these years?"

"Kept what from us?" It was a very twin moment as Ezra said exactly what Harry was saying.

"STOP I FORBID YOU" roared Vernon. Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.

"Ah go boil yer heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Ezra, Harry- yer wizards."

Muteness took its throne.

I knew that I was something different, special, after all what kind of normal kid does the things I do but I did not trust this man, nor anyone for a fact. Harry was my own flesh and blood, that was my only exception.

"Prove it."

My command hung in the air, broken only by Harry's exclaim of "We're _what_?"

My eyes must have flickered towards Dudley because Hagrid gave me a slow smile. I understood then. He might not prove it now, but he would before the night ended.

"I reckon it's about time yeh read yer letters" pulling out two twin letters he handed them to each of us.

I greedily opened mine and continued to read where I had left off.

-enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.  
Yours sincerely,  
Minerva McGonagall  
_Deputy Headmistress_

"I know at least you Ezuh, started reading it, but did not finish."

"How?"

"Magic." was his straightforward reply.

I wanted to know what kind magic but decided not to push it.

Petunia seemed smug that she had finally known the truth about my letter. I responded with a smirk of my own.

Hagrid took out a piece of paper and wrote something out of it, claiming that Harry's question of what an owl was, reminded him of this.

I incredulously stared as he brought out a live owl out of his pocket and gave the note to it.

"They will not go." articulated Vernon.

"I'd like to see a great muggle like you stop them." Hagrid retorted.

"A what?" I inquired.

"A muggle, it's what non magic folk are called, like them Dursley's."

The word "muggle" sounded ridiculous but it somehow fitted the Dursley's. I won't say I disliked muggles, it wasn't in my place to judge an entire species. Besides there must be decent some decent muggle and a horrid wizard. It was the person I would judge, not the species, I decided firmly.

"We swore when we took them in we would put an end to that- to that freakishness!" cried Vernon.

"You knew?" spluttered Harry. "You knew we're- we're wizards?"

"Knew!" Petunia shrieked suddenly "Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my drafted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter..."

Her voice faded away as Ezra stopped paying attention. It appeared that indeed, it was because of my scar that I was recognized by those admiring people, we had met wizards without our knowledge.

It was obvious that Harry and Ezra's mother had gotten a Hogwarts acceptance letter and her sister hadn't. Now she ranted about it. Was she _jealous_?

It would explain why Petunia seemed to harbor a greater dislike towards Ezra than Harry, how could she not, if Ezra was the reminder of her sisters superiority.

The unanswered question was how had their parents died? And how did she get her scar?

As if fate decided to indulge me, I heard Petunia mention my mothers death.

"-and then, if you please, she got herself blown up and we landed with you two!"

Paying no mind to what she was saying I said quietly "Blown up, you said they had died in a car crash."

"CAR CRASH" Hagrid bellowed, jumping up so angrily the Dursley's nearly stumbled over each other to cower back.

But I heard no more over the roar in my ears.

Had they gotten murdered? But by whom?

"But why? What happened?" asked Harry clearly noticing that something did not fit.

"I don't know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh- but someone's gotta - yall can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'." he paused as if contemplating them.

"I don't know all of it, mind you since its a great myst'ry but parts of it..."

"It begins, I suppose with - with a person called - but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows-"

"Who?"

"Well- I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."

"Why not?"

"Ezuh, Harry yeh have to understan', people are still scared. See there was this wizard who went... bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was..."

A name. Wizards apparently were afraid to say a bloody name. Even muggle's still said Hitler even if he had also caused mass terror.

"Could you write it down?" Harry suggested.

"Nah- can't spell it. All right- _Voldemort_" Hagrid gave a shuddering breath.

The name brought back an unpleasant tingle of a forgotten memory resurfacing.

According to Hagrid's history lesson, this Voldemort person had evidently been very powerful but used it for evil and recruited an army. Life back then sounded horrid, not knowing if the person walking next to you was going to start killing.

He said how the only one Voldemort was afraid of was Dumbledore another very powerful wizard but used those powers for good. And then he said how there wasn't concrete evidence for Voldemort to have killed my parents.

The entire tale bored me.

To Ezra there was no "good and bad" side, only shades of grey. It sounded so cliche, the entire story sounded like a movie Dudley would see about Good vs. Evil.

Obviously the man had a reason for going to the house and murdering my parents. It wasn't as if he was passing by and decided to have a nice little chat.

"-You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then he tried to kill you both, to finish the job or because he liked killing, but he couldn't do it. When a powerful, evil curse touches yeh- that's were you got your scar Ezuh, he tried to kill your before Harry and it was you who was marked forever, except it didn't work on you an' that's why yer famous Ezuh."

"No one ever lived after he decided to kill them, countless of good witches and wizards died but you was only a baby- only a baby." He seemed to choke in his grief.

"No one knows if he had tried to kill Harry first what would have happened. Maybe the same and Harry would be in the spotlight but for some reason you went first..."

A myriad of thoughts were going in my mind, a memory being the most prominent. The story had not only made the laugh more vivid and cruel but I remembered more, I remembered seeing a tall figure cloaked in all black gazing down at me with glowing red eyes...

Harry was looking at me in a way that told me he what I was thinking, the understanding in his eyes comforted me.

"Load of old tosh," snarled Vernon. I felt a cold indifference towards him, they had known and yet they didn't say a word, all throughout these years.

"Now, you listen here, you two," he continued, "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured-"

Thankfully Hagrid cut him off because something bad was about to happen to Vernon if he didn't shut his mouth in that second, if the murderous glint that entered my eyes when he uttered the word "beating" was anything to go by.

Having positioned his ugly pink umbrella like a sword he said, "I'm warning you, Dursley- I'm warning you- one more word..."

Having seen what said umbrella could do Vernon's courage failed again as he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.

Harry, evidently curious asked "But what happened to Vol-, sorry- I mean, You-Know-Who?"

Smothering my grin I saw that while they may be polar opposites in personality, Voldemort's name had affected him no more then myself.

"Some say he died. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die. Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don't believe it. People on his side came back to ours, reckon they wouldn't if he was comin' back."

"Most of us think he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Ezuh. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on- I dunno what it was, no one does- but something about you stopped him, all right."

Hagrid was looking at Ezra with warmth and respect in his eyes, like those other wizards had. But I myself felt no pride. While I could believe I was a witch, I couldn't be proud for something I could not remember, something I didn't know, and probably had no control over.

"Hagrid I don't think I'm a wizard." Said Harry quietly.

This would not to, I believed in my brother and I knew he had his own potential even if he did not speak to snakes or defeat a Dark Lord.

"Harry, you know you can do things, I was there, you are a wizard through and through even if you don't believe it, isn't he Hagrid?"

Doubt and happiness were both swimming in his emerald eyes as he looked at the rapidly shaking of Hagrid's head in confirmation.

But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight.

"Haven't I told you that they're not going?" he hissed "They will be going to Stonewall High" he said with finality.

I wanted to go despite not trusting Hagrid or what he said. I remembered the porn Vernon watched and a sick smile spread on my face.

I would resort to blackmail if that's what it took.

He gulped as he caught me leering at him but attempted nevertheless.

"If they want to go, a great Muggle like you won't be stoppin' them." Hagrid growled "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. They'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever had, Albus Dumbled-"

"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH THEM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Vernon.

The way he put it, made the magical world sound ridiculous.

Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER INSULT ALBUS DUMBLEDORE IN FRONT OF ME" and brought his umbrella down which was noticeably more than an umbrella.

He pointed it at Dudley and in the next second my cousin had a curly pigs tail poking out from his trousers.

Well it definitely suited him.

And... this was proof that magic indeed existed

I didn't hide my laughter as I held onto Harry's shoulder for support even as Petunia gave me an evil look.

They knew not to mess with us so they scurried out of the room like the rats they were.

He cast a sideways look towards us, "Be grateful if yeh don't mention that ter anyone anyone at Hogwarts, not supposed to do magic you see"

Me, being the knowledge seeker I was immediately questioned him.

"Er, got expelled at Hogwarts myself, but Dumbledore let me stay..."

"Why did you get expelled?" this surprisingly came from Harry but Hagrid openly avoided the question and opted to talk about the long day tomorrow.

I narrowed my eyes, I would question him later while he was distracted or ask around, if he got expelled it was because he did something serious making him more dangerous than he seemed.

Sleep finally caught up with me and my last thought was a wish that I wouldn't sleepwalk myself to death in the depths of the sea.

**Reviews welcome.**


	4. iv

**_I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination._**

**_-Jimmy Dean_**

The feeling of something landing on my arm sluggishly awoke me.

I cracked my eyes in the glare of the sun to see beady eyes staring into mine. With a graceless shriek, I jerked up to see it was a bird. Now flying away at full speed.

Disbelievingly, I looked down at myself to see my body halfway sunk into murky wet sand.

Letting out a gasp that sent me into a choking fit, I looked up to see the shack Harry, the Dursley's and the giant were supposedly sleeping at, the structure far above my position on the ground.

My eyes adjusting, I noticed how the sun wasn't that bright. It was at the crack of dawn.

My entire body ached, I was covered in black and blue bruises. I dreaded the thought of my face's appearance, if the pins and needles feeling was anything to go by, then it would not be encouraging.

Trying to recollect my memories, I gave a jolt when I could actually remember something, not the usual blankness that followed my nightly sleepwalking dreams.

I had been walking down a dark and dank tunnel, snakes wrapping themselves around me as in worship.

I attempted to decipher it but decided against it, my head was pounding and foggy.

Another memory prodded itself into my pondering mind, but this one was not a dream; water and calm, ocean sand swirling around my floating body.

I had definitely been sleepwalking at hours even my brother would be too asleep to notice I was walking out and falling into the ocean.

A small trail made its way from the top of the shack to the little bit of sand I lay on a few feet away. Blood adorned the entire trail, a large splatter of blood at the bottom.

My blood.

How was I alive?

A fall that high would have split my skull and the job would have been finished when I rolled into the water. And yet here I was, sitting on the shore with only bruises and gashes.

Remains of salt water stung my eyes, the recollection of roaring waves and a sea of blue replayed itself behind my eyes.

_How was I alive?_

OoOoooOoooOoooOoo

"No Hagrid, I had just gone down for a walk," was my hasty excuse as I walked in.

Harry and Hagrid were fully awake, remains of chewed sausage lay amongst Hagrid's beard and one sausage saved for me. I noticed the look Harry sent me, barely concealing his insight of my lie.

Giving him a look that said _save it for later_, I started nibbling my burnt sausage.

"Harry was very worried for you, Ezuh. Why I cannot imagine as I only saw yer' takin' a swim in the pretty sea." Good thing he had not noticed the blood that colored the water as I "swum in the pretty sea" or else he would not be as cheerful.

Harry on the other hand had more observation skills as he shot me a more demanding look, screaming at me to explain.

I have no idea how I had covered my injuries. One second I had been gritting my teeth in pain as the salt water attacked my open cuts and the next a peculiar tingling sensation was registered by my mind.

I had been shell shocked when I looked down to find my wounds unseeable. I had been so sure they were going to be there, the pain was not gone therefore they should have been. I deduced this was one of those magic outbursts Hagrid had called "accidental magic."

Finishing my sausage, Hagrid immediately stood up with a grunt.

"Best be off, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' by all yer stuff fer' school."

"How did you even get here?" I asked.

"Flew."

Harry stared up at him in amazement but I, having witnessed the grandiose of magic as it apparently dragged me out of an ocean was not as surprised.

•

Reaching the boat the Dursley's used to get here last night, I smirked, realizing that if we took the boat then they would now be stranded in that miserable shack.

I gazed at the dark blue waters we were being rowed upon by Hagrid's magic, it still seemed impossible that I had been at the bottom of it not 9 hours ago.

I did not know when it had happened but knowing it did was enough.

Hagrid pulled out a newspaper and started grumbling about a Ministry messing things up.

It was disconcerting to know there was an entire secret government and by the faces Hagrid was making than it wasn't a very competent ministry.

The boat bumped softly into the harbor and I went last so they would not notice my pained expression, the lifting of my leg sending me shocks of pain.

As we walked, I noticed how much stares being in the giants company garnered. Of course, the muggles would think his size made him a freak of nature. Typical.

However even I could notice that he was not entirely normal, he would have to be abnormally tall even for wizards since if Harry and I were normal of stature if not short then the other magical people would also dwarf compared to him.

He must have a giant parent or something along those lines to be so immense and have the strength to effortlessly knock down a door.

I was horrified to see that when we got on the train, Hagrid started knitting what looked like a circus tent a shade of puke yellow.

Maybe that's why he was expelled, he had blinded someone with colors like that.

"You two still got yer letters?" I was offended that he thought I was that neglectful of my possessions and of such importance.

I leaned in on Harry to see he had pulled out his own letter. The school supplies seemed infinite and had very bizarre names plus some cliché things Dudley would see on TV relating to wizards such as pointed hats and cauldrons.

"Can we buy all this in London?" Harry asked.

He did have a point, I never recall having seen "A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration" on the streets.

"If yeh know where to go." Was Hagrid's ominous reply.

OoOoooOoooOoooOoo

I had never been to London and it seemed navigating the streets would have been a very tedious task had it not been for Hagrid parting the crowd with his huge form. Maybe being that immense had its perks.

"No but honestly Hagrid, where are we going?" It made me uneasy to be led around without knowing what the destination was. Besides that would be blindly trusting the person and I did not do blind trust.

"We're actually here, the Leaky Cauldron!" he pointed to some dingy old looking pub.

At first I thought he was joking but as he went directly toward it I realized he was not, my expectations of the Wizarding World dropping in every passing second.

The people passing by did not seem to notice it except for them three. So then they would all be the muggles, I shivered at the thought of being such an oblivious and powerless creature.

If magic managed to hide an entire building, worn down and small as it was, it still meant that a witch and wizard could play with your mind very easily.

About ten people were milling around the dim and worn out place, however as we walked in, conversation ceased.

It seemed Hagrid was quite well known for they all started waving and sending greetings to him. Good, one of them must know why Hagrid was expelled and if I was as famous as he made me out to be then persuading them to spill the beans wouldn't be as difficult.

"The usual, Hagrid?" Spoke the old bartender.

"Can't Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business." Grunted Hagrid, clapping Harry on the back, his knees buckling from the impact. It seemed Hagrid didn't know his own strength.

However that brought the notice of the bartender towards me and Harry.

"Good Lord," he said, peering at them, "is this - can these be - ?"

If I thought people had gone quiet before then it was nothing compared to this.

"Bless my soul" whispered the old man, "the Potter twins... what an honor."

He rushed out behind the counter, tears in his eyes and clutched my hand.

"Welcome back Ms. Potter and Mr. Potter, welcome back."

Literally everyone was gawking at us, more specifically gawking at me.

Looking up, I saw Hagrid beaming and felt a rush of anger towards the man. How could he just happily soak up the attention they were giving me without noticing how utterly _wrong_ it was?

As if my movement was a signal, they all came rushing towards us.

Both Harry and I found our hands being shaken by strangers. Eyeing Harry, I saw he looked equally uncomfortable.

A nervous young man, came up to me first instead of Harry, they all mostly did that but the intensity of his stare was unnerving. I could not help but feel a slight prickle at my scar and a sense of reunion with the man. How odd.

"Professor Quirrel!" boomed Hagrid. "Ezuh, he will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."

Before I could ask him what subject, his attention had been riveted towards Harry's exclaim of recognizing one of the people.

As Professor Quarrel grasped my hand, the sense of reunion intensified threefold.

Ignoring it, I asked him what subject he taught.

"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," he stuttered out, as if afraid of his own subject.

What he said next I do not know, all I know was something was going on for the burst of familiarity with him kept nagging me no matter how much I knew I had never seen him.

"Professor, have we met each other before?"

"Not at all P-Potter, not at-t all." I would have believed him had it not been for the slight twitch his left hand gave at the question.

I was very perceptive and knew how to detect a lie, having lied all throughout my life. People would give all different types of signals, from not looking in the persons eyes to profuse sweat.

Over time I had learned how to not show the signs, and I gave it to the Professor, he was good, but he did not count that a little eleven year old would see it.

Just as I was about to keep nagging him, Hagrid's hand landed on my shoulder, seeming to not notice my immediate stiffening.

"Must get on - lots ter buy. Come on you two." I did not like his tone of voice, he made it sound as if we were insisting on staying.

"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Especially you Ezuh but Harry also gets glory, he was there that night, he gets lots of speculations too," he said as we walked in a little hallway with bricks on the end.

Now I was really angry, how dare this half giant say that that had been glorious, having your parents murdered and then an assassination attempt on you was not glorious.

Nevertheless my anger soon turned into amazement, the bricks he had been tapping a second ago suddenly opened up to reveal Diagon Alley.

Hagrid's voice was muffled against the pounding in my ears.

How could I never have known of this place?

It was so enchanting, a colorful street filled with witches and wizards dressed in all different kinds of robes, the shops with their item on display floating.

Why hadn't Harry and I have not known of this? If we were all of these peoples heroes then why had we been left to rot with the rest of muggles in the mundane world?

I followed or more like was dragged by Harry to a shop displaying a new edition of a broom.

A crowd of kids all ages had formed around it but I thought it looked more like a torture device than anything.

How uncomfortable would it be sit while flying on that stick of wood?

I had once done the stupid thing of sliding down a rail while directly sitting on it and it had brought wonders of pain to my crotch, a broom seemed to be ten times worse.

But reason caught up with me and I started thinking like a witch, the answer to the problem would be that they had cast a spell on it so the people would not have to go through all the incommodiousness.

"Hurry along, we need to go get yer money at Gringotts first," rumbled Hagrid from behind us.

Now it was my turn to drag Harry away.

"You still need to tell me what was going on this morning." He whisper screamed in my ear.

"Later, and lean away or Hagrid will notice something." I hissed out of the corner of my mouth.

"Gringotts." Hagrid proclaimed, coming to a halt.

We had arrived at a tall imposing white building with a short strange creature standing at the side...

Quietly saying "goblin," Hagrid led them inside.

More of those creatures lined up the sides of the vast marble hall.

"Morning" Hagrid said to the goblin they had found free at the left side. "I wish to take out of the Potter vault."

"Key?" the goblin with a nameplate stating he was Bintro droned.

Hagrid started taking out various stuff from his coat pockets. A moldy dog treat included.

My facial expression of disgust mimicked the goblin's perfectly.

Finally, he pulled out a gleaming key.

Giving it over to the goblin, he inspected it before turning his gaze on me.

"This key belongs to Lord Potter, does Lady Potter consent to the entrance of her vault?"

I gave a start at that, we were eleven years old and already being addressed as Lord and Lady.

My surprise must have shown since he started saying, "Because of your circumstances you both have full claim over the vault, the respective female and male leaders of House Potter."

I was glad he did not look pitying when he mentioned the "circumstances" since I did not want anyones pity.

But it was absolutely great to know creatures I had never heard of before already knew our status as orphans.

"Again I ask, do you give consent?" he seemed to be getting annoyed.

"I do, but is there a way to get me my own key?"

Wordlessly he passed a ceramic bowl my way and instructed I put five drops of blood in it.

"I don't think that would be a good idea Ezuh, yer too young, besides Dumbledore has yer key." Hagrid nervously interjected.

The idea of some old man having something of mine and having access to even more did not sit well with me.

"Well it's not as if I'm going to see him anytime soon to ask him to give it to me so might as well." At that I sliced my palm and far more blood than the expected poured out. Oops.

It seemed I had cut too deep and instead of drops coming out, a stream was what came out.

I had definitely given more than five drops but my cut was healed instantaneously by the goblin with a wave of his hand.

My little puddle of blood started to bubble and emanate heat until it disappeared and a little golden key with a "P" and the symbol of an eagle at the top, presumably the Potter family crest, sat in its place.

"We can transform it into a bracelet for a charge of 15 galleons if you so wish."

"Do I have 15 galleons?" The look the goblin sent me made it quite clear that I indeed did have 15 galleons.

Hagrid seemed to look even more uneasy at this so it was very satisfying when I shrugged at Harry and accepted.

The goblin waved its hand again and the key formed a plain gold circular band with the family house crest dangling. It looked like a charm bracelet more than anything.

Good, that way it'll be inconspicuous and people won't try to mug me for it.

It immediately clasped itself around my wrist when I put it on, a permanent snug reminder that I wasn't hopeless in the world.

At my expectant look he called another goblin, this one named Griphook.

"Come along," at this he led us into a little dim hallway resembling a train station, however a cart sitting in the trains place.

Sitting on the Goblins side, I nearly pitched face first into Harry who was sitting across from me, the velocity of the cart too sudden.

Hagrid seemed nauseous but looking over at Harry he seemed perfectly fine.

"Can it go faster?" I spoke lowly in the goblin's ear without Hagrid's knowledge.

He gave me a vicious grin. "Two speeds, fast and faster."

As if on cue he gave a tug at the side and we rocketed off, twice the speed. If I thought I had been enjoying it before than this was much better.

I even gave a cheer of joy, feeling like such a child. Hagrid's face was priceless though and I wish I had a camera on me.

Finally, we arrived at small door in the passage wall, green smoke coming out when Griphook unlocked it with Harry's key.

When it cleared, I was splendidly surprised to see heaps of coins with artifacts laying around, I knew I would not be leaving any time soon.

Hagrid came over to help Harry but I stopped him when he turned to me.

"No Hagrid it's okay, and you can head along without me, I will be fine here."

Looking over at Harry, he gave me a nod of understanding, he would know I would immediately be attracted to the artifacts, being the intellectual hungry person I was.

"She will be okay, we can catch up later at the ice cream parlor we passed, come on Hagrid."

With a reluctant look, Hagrid let himself be led by Harry into the cart which sped them off, magic giving it no need to have a driver.

"How will we get out?"

"Another one will arrive when you finish." Griphook said from his position at the door.

Facing away from the short creature, I was immediately drawn to the daggers at the far left, partially obscured by the statue of a man in front of it.

Picking the first one up, I saw it looked completely new, untouched by age. But the one that drew my entire attention was the one with crusted blood on it.

The handle was made of dark steel, black diamonds forming the symbol of the earth element with the infinity sign on the other side.

I knew it was magical, it seemed to suck out the light of its surroundings in addition to freezing the air around it and let out a purple glow when I touched it.

Looking at the book it had been sitting on, I saw it was actually a journal, specifying what it was:

_I, Valisma Potter, found this dagger in the west side of the Albanian forest __on September 13__, 1837. I had been on my expedition of the world for three years now and this caught my attention. It seemed to have been buried in a corpse identity unknown for some time now. I researched and tested it for many years and found the following: Blessed by dementors, name Auxilium Cadunt appears on blade when put under intense cold, if misses opponent when thrown then it will proceed to follow opponent until target is found, rips through powerful shields, will proceed to poison mind when stabbed, causes insanity to victim, only answers to worthy master, turns blue when holder is innocent, releases purple aura when holder has taken a life. I know there is more to it, the element and infinity sign give proof to that, but I am now old and I hope one day my heirs can uncover its full potential. _

To say I was astounded was an understatement. I knew it had to be special but not this special.

This dagger could impact my life in a very beneficial way, my hand fit perfectly around it and it seemed weightless as if made for me.

Rapidly tucking the Auxilium Cadunt into my sleeve so the goblin wouldn't notice, I randomly grabbed four handfuls of coins and rushed out of there.

I assumed I had been here a long time judging by his annoyed look although he seemed used to it. I promised myself I would return to the vault, this was only one of many artifacts and I would not loose the chance of having so much knowledge at my disposal.

Maybe that's why Dumbledore didn't want me to have my own independent key, he knew I might discover something.

Coming to a sudden halt, I noticed we had arrived the dull hallway again and I gave the goblin a nod of gratitude.

"I thank you for your assistance, may your business prosper," the words naturally flowing off my tongue.

I was right in thinking the goblin would be pleased with this.

"Anytime Lady Potter, you may call for Griphook anytime and we will do business." He seemed to go away almost beaming as much as someone with a face as sour as his could but I lost sight of him as I exited out the majestic doors, the comforting weight of my new dagger weighing down my sweater sleeve.

**Reviews welcomed.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter as it has been the longest I have written with a total of 3667 words. **

**Pardon any errors, beta not available.**


	5. v

**_"The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique."_**

**_-Walt Disney_**

I had been dreadfully right when I thought it had been a long time, the sun was already setting in contrast to the bright midday sun we had arrived with.

Who would have thought a journal entry could take so much time to read and analyze?

Harry seemed to be comforting a distraught Hagrid when I walked into the ice cream parlor.

"-will be fine, she knows how to take care of herself, Hagrid."

"But it's been three hours, how could I lose her, we need to go look for her now!"

"Calm down Hagrid, we will if Ezra doesn't appear in the next ten minutes."

Making my appearance known as I sat down at their table, I dryly said, "It seems you will not have to go looking for me, Hagrid calm down, I'm here now."

Harry sent me a glare, probably because I had gotten him stuck with a panicking gamekeeper though the screeching of an owl diverted my attention.

"That's Hedwing, while you were gone we went in the pet store and Hagrid bought us birthday gifts." As if on cue, Hagrid shakily brought a small hissing red snake from under the table.

"Harry told me you were fond of snakes and picked this one out for you, she's a Rhadinaea and imported from Florida."

Hagrid put the transparent glass box she was encased in front of me. The irritated snake whipped its head to face me.

_"Clumsy humansss, handling me like that, I will escape and bite their yummy flessh."_

To low for anyone to hear, I responded.

_"You will do no such thing."_

_"You speak! Finally, I thought all humans were ssstupid, get me out of this confine now, girl."_

_"I am your master now and my name is Ezra, you do not order me around, and if you do not harm any of these people then I will get you suitable food."_

She seemed to contemplate that and did what I imagined was supposed to be a nod.

I know it was a risky move to outright speak a language people apparently thought was dark since Voldemort spoke it according to Hagrid but I could not just have a determined snake plotting everyones death.

Reaching in, I ignored Hagrid's shout of warning as the snake wrapped itself around my left arm, the right one occupied with making sure a certain dagger remained concealed.

"B-But she was so angry," Hagrid kept incredulously stammering.

_"I like you, you are very squishy and will get me food," the snake got a pensive look. "What will you name me massster?"_

Contemplating that, I realized I had not thought of a name. Scanning through my knowledge of latin, I came upon a name, perfect for the color of her scales.

"Ignis." I said in normal english, however Ignis seemed to understand and gave a hiss of approval.

"Just yer' wands left and Ezuh needs her school robes." Hagrid seemed to just want out, far away from my snake.

"I also wanted to take a look at the bookshop, if you need to go Hagrid then by all means, I can look on my own with Harry."

At Hagrid's hesitation, Harry interjected. "We'll be fine, we can go back home and everything, let's just go get Ezra her robes and our wands." Harry was clearly trying to get an opportunity to extensively question me but this time I would answer since we would be alone.

Hagrid now placated, walked towards Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions.

OoOoooOoooOoooOoo

After going through the horrid experience of being turned into a human pin cushion, with the severe woman bustling all over the shop, I was going to what I had anticipated the most: getting my wand.

Fortunately the sun was nearly completely down therefore neither of my companions noticed my limp.

I had been able to control the pain from my incident in the morning but with all the walking I had been doing throughout the day the pain came full force.

_"Master seems troubled, wasss it because you had to hide me while that vile woman put more human shedding on you?"_

_"No, and stop ssspeaking or else we will attract attention." I hissed back sharply._

I had discovered with the time I spent with Ignis that she had an immense ego. It had been an experience I never want to repeat when I told her she had to hide in the shopping bags Harry carried for she would scare Madam Malkin if she didn't.

For a split second I had thought I would be caught red handed with my dagger since I could not simply tell it to hide like Ignis but it appeared I only had to think it to hide since the entire time I was being measured it disappeared from sight just like my wounds.

Coming out of my thoughts I saw Hagrid maintaining the door open for me as I walked into the narrow and old shop of Ollivanders.

For a supposedly popular shop it was very small, with only one chair to sit on. Rows upon rows of wands piled all along the shop, reaching up to the ceiling.

"Good evening." Came the whispery voice of an old man with pale bulbous eyes.

"Hello sir we wish to purchase-" cutting me off he started speaking.

"I thought I would be seeing you soon. Ezra Potter." He was staring at me as if looking at my very soul. "You are the very carbon copy of your mother while you, Harry, look just like your father but with your mothers eyes."

How did he even _know_ me without having even _met_ me before? And if a photo had been taken of me for a newspaper, it still couldn't get into his hands so fast.

After giving a long speech about our parents wands, he came closer to me than he had ever before and lingered his hand on my forehead, where I knew my scar would be visible, no longer covered by concealer.

I did not like people coming this close to me, the invasion of privacy giving me anxiety and simply ticking me off.

"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did this," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful and in the wrong hands... I hope you will not go out in the world to do the same."

The first thing I would do when leaving Diagon Alley was to get bangs if this was what it invoked in people.

Abruptly, he pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"

"Left..." I trailed off, unsure. I dearly hope he meant if I was left or right handed or else I just made a complete fool of myself.

He hummed as he left to find a wand, the measurer continuing to float around my body, taking precise quantities.

"How about walnut and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try-"

I tried but it was immediately snatched back.

"No, no - here, yew and unicorn hair, twelve and a half inches, springy. Go on, try it out."

When I waved it some sparks flew out and a mild sense of righteousness filled me, I even heard the start of a clap from Hagrid but it was still yanked out of my hand once again.

"Good but not enough, not to worry we will find a perfect match somewhere."

If it had not been for my self confidence then I would have despaired, it was completely dark outside and my enormous pile of wands kept mounting up.

"I wonder, now, why not - unusual combination and rare wood - silver lime and phoenix feather, eleven inches, quite rigid.

I took the wand. Immediately I felt power coursing through my veins, similar to what I felt with the dagger. Waving the wand experimentally, golden fire shot out.

Ollivander seemed even more pleased with the turn of events as he put the fire out. It was very peculiar, if someone had lit my shop on fire I would not be practically bouncing from excitement as he was.

"Interesting, very interesting, this wand is known for being possessed by seers and natural legillimens."

"Sir, what is legillimens?"

"It is the art of mind reading Ms. Potter, you can read people very well can you not?"

This proved my theory early on that in the wizarding world there were mind privacy issues. It only sated me to know that if Ollivander was being truthful, it would be _I_ doing the mind reading.

When I came up to pay, he leaned in very close once again.

"And is it safe to assume you have very _vivid_ dreams?" He murmured in my ear.

My instantly pale face was enough answer for him as he continued to speak in a now normal volume.

"It is curious to know the man who gave you that scar, has the only other feather of the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, thus making it its brother wand."

"Research connection in between Voldemort and I," was now added to my checklist.

Looking around, I noticed the stiffness both Harry and Hagrid presented, at the mention of Voldemort, expressions tight.

"Sir, would you happen to know-"

"I do not meddle in You-Know-Who's business." He said sharply. "But I know now, great things are most definitely expected of you... After all, He did great things- terrible, yes, but great."

Mr. Ollivander may appear as aloof and eccentric but his mind most definitely was not.

I thought the same as he, even if I had not lived during Voldemort's war.

The man stared at me, assessing me, as if coming to a conclusion, he broke my gaze and looked towards Harry with hooded eyes.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, now it's your turn to be chosen by a wand stand here if you will."

After another half hour, Harry finally released red and gold sparks from a holly and phoenix feather wand, it's appearance seeming rough with it's coarse handle compared to my sleek and shiny black wand.

After having paid for his wand,

Mr. Ollivander rushed us out his shop, slamming the door and locking it with a definitive click.

OoOoooOoooOoooOoo

The night air was crisp and cool, summer rapidly fading into fall. The sky was pitch dark by the time we finally exited the wand shop.

"Are you sure yer' want ter stay out here?" Hagrid seemed torn as he worriedly looked at us. "I would stay but I got Hogwarts business ter do..."

"Hagrid, I assure you we will be okay. I just want to go look at the book shop and me and Harry will be on our way, I promise."

Well that was one promise that was not true, I intended not only have a massively due conversation with Harry out of the earshot of the Dursley's but also take a walk down Knockturn Alley...

It seemed to draw me in from the second I passed by the entrance when walking to Gringotts, much like the book store seemed to be begging me to go explore the books filled with knowledge.

As reluctant as he was, Hagrid ceased to be in our presence with a concerned glance back.

Almost immediately, Harry snatched my arm and dragged me to Flourish and Blotts, his posture rigid as he hurried along the street.

Entering, I cringed as the bell made a sharp and shrill sound, alerting the only people left, a shopkeeper and a couple off to the side.

"You'll have to hurry, young lads, I'm closing up in ten minutes." Said the pale shopkeeper, wearing boisterous yellow robes.

Rushing over to a shadowed corner, I turned towards Harry. His eyes were hard and his jaw was clenched. He was a very cool temperamental person, so when he got mad it was usually something serious, like stringing him along the entire day without explanation for something he had been worrying the entire night.

"Let me explain, I sleepwalked and I had a dream I can distantly remember. I was walking down some passage and a lot of snakes around me, I think they were telling me something." I stopped to gather a breath, relieved that Harry seemed to be calming down.

"I woke up on the beach and I was _completely_ bruised up but my magic or something flared up and concealed it, the important part is, I think I died." My words came out rushed and awkward, fearing that he wouldn't believe me, but his face showed only concern.

"Well, at least say something!" I looked over my shoulder, fearing I had spoken too loud but the couple seemed to be arguing and the shopkeeper reading.

"Did you just... did you just say y-you _died_?"

"I said I _think_ I died, I remember water and waves, besides, I rolled down boulder sized rocks, that has got to have made some serious injury on my cranium." I paused, seeing his disbelieving look, but plundered on. "Something healed me, I don't know Harry, I really don't, but what matters now is that I'm alive in the first place."

"Well, you did take some good hits, judging by all the blood I saw. Quite a nice walk you had." He snorted, flinging my pathetic excuse this morning back in my face.

Spinning on my heel, I turned to look at the books behind me, glad my explanation to Harry had gone well.

My face came incredibly close to a book named _Curses and Counter-Curses_, rapidly reminding me of my last ditch plan to visit Knockturn Alley, Harry would not like it, but I did not plan to tell him right now.

When I finished paying 40 galleons to a sour faced shopkeeper, now brightening up at the prospect that the extra hour he stayed after payed off, I hauled my books after me, too many to fit in my overflowing trunk even with extension charms.

"Where are you going? The exit to London is that way." Harry questioned.

"I have one more place to go to, after that we can go home." Seeing his puzzled look, I elaborated. "We are going to Knockturn Alley."

"Are you out of your mind? Hagrid told us not to go there, it's dangerous!" His voice echoed along Diagon Alley, eerie in it's loneliness compared to the bustling activity in the morning.

"Hagrid can sod off, I'm curious and I am going, whether you come with me or not."

The dark alley seemed to draw me in even when I was across from it in Gringotts, the air seemed suffocating even from the distance. I was not giving up the chance to see what it had that made it so different from Diagon Alley, whom gave me the feeling of an everyday ordinary street.

"Ezra, I wish I could persuade you not to, but I know you. I feel that we are going to regret-" I cut him off, his lack of faith in my life preserving skills insulting.

Okay so maybe I did end up in tight spots more than I should, from mouthing off to Petunia, to outright insulting the kid everybody knew was in a gang. But I was always able to get myself out of it.

"No Harry, we are not going to regret anything, have a little bit of confidence. I doubt anyone will even be out at this hour anyway."

As if on cue, the distant sound of a bell tolling twelve times reached our ears. I started walking towards the entrance of the alley, smiling faintly as the shuffling of Harry's shoes were heard, he really would stay by my side in everything.

Looking at each other, we took a deep breath as if plunging in water, an ominous gust of wind ruffling our hair, as we took three steps forward and was swallowed by the darkness of Knockturn Alley.

**Reviews welcome.**


	6. vi

***TRIGGER WARNING* Some of this content has non consensual sex references. **

_**We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.**_

_**-Jim Rohn**_

Being correct when the teacher calls on me was something I prided myself in. Upcoming knowledge of the wizarding world from three stacks of books was another. But most of all, I prided my self in being right.

That was not something that happened this time.

The second I stepped foot in Knockturn Alley, I knew I had gotten one thing wrong. It was not empty. Oh no, it was not empty at all. It was Diagon Alley throughout the day all over again.

The cobblestone road was filled with activity, only this time the screech of mothers running after laughing children was not heard.

Only silence was emitted by many cloaked figures seeming to glide as they walked. No shade of horridly bright colors were worn, only black.

This was no place for two uncloaked children.

This was no place for the defeater of the Dark Lord.

We went to turn back, both Harry and I getting seriously bad vibes about this, but there was a figure standing in the way.

The person - at least I hope it's a person - did not say anything, but neither did it move when it saw our intentions to leave.

As natural as possible, I hooked my arm around Harry's and kept my books at arm length in case I could use them as protection. However these people looked like the type to know Black Magic - or was it Dark Magic? I would have to look it up, if I got out alive.

Walking even deeper into the crowd, I felt as if every pair of eyes were staring at us under those shadowed hoods, eyes with malevolent intentions.

We veered right into the first intersection, barely missing from being crashed in by a drunk and dirty man, this one uncloaked, when we were forced to make a sudden halt.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" The raspy voice of a man reached my ears, his hand on my shoulder from behind, squeezing harshly.

My natural instinct was to rip myself and run. But we had already attracted a crowd, as if they had been holding their breath before, waiting for someone to make a move on us.

Gripping Harry's arm tightly, I turned around slowly, heart racing, to come one-on-one with a filthy old man, eyes feral and leering, a shaggy bear with unidentified stuff caught in it adorning his greasy face. His proximity was startling, getting closer with every second so that I could see in detail the scar he had under his lip even with the darkness of his hood hiding his harder to notice features.

"You know I have a taste for little pretty things like you." He paused, tongue nearly brown flicking out to pass by his beard. "Me and my friend can show yer some fun, along with your brother, he will join to."

I was on the verge of a panic attack, since this had happened to me when I was little, I had always been wary of men being close to me, except this time the man was no muggle. And this time said man was accompanied by an entire street full of creeps. But worst of all, this time my brother was with me.

_"I can feel your pulse racing master, you needn't worry. Ignis is here for you and your spongy sibling."_

I nearly collapsed from relief as Ignis reminded me I was not alone. She had been bread in the wizarding world, and not only that, she reminded me I had a dagger tucked in my sleeve. I may not have experience using a wand but I did know how to defend myself against pedophiles, experience and all.

This time my magic may not help me like it did the last time, but I did have a magical artifact on me.

I had not had time to go over it with Harry before the bookstore closed but he would just have to go with it no matter what degree of surprise he might have when I snatched it out.

Thinking about Harry, a plan started forming in my head. Giving him a reassuring squeeze, I started speaking.

"Fun sir? I like having lots of fun, but can you show me the exit after play time?" It was almost laughable as the bastard bought all that I said. He had no idea that the person he was messing with was far from the innocence I had just portrayed.

"Of course I will, lovely girl, I will surely show you the exit after I have my fun with you." His hand crept down my arm in the most disgusting of ways, but I had to remind myself not to stab him now. That had to wait until he was on his way to his friend where he would be alone.

Encircling his hand completely around my upper arm, he went to leave but the cloaked crowd from before had fully blocked his exit. I guess that was why Harry had gripped my hand so hard before. But I, being too preoccupied with not vomiting at the foul smell my captor emitted had paid no notice. Scratch that, I was preoccupied not having a break down because that would ruin things.

But it would seem things were already ruined.

"Now now, I can't let you have your fun with them all to yourself now can I? I can smell pure on them and I want to be the one to taste her sweet blood..." A tall, fat figure drawled and I couldn't contain my gag.

"Save that for later sweetheart, you'll be doing that kneeling." This came from a figure at my left and more people kept pitching in their own revolting ideas of what to do with us.

"No, _we_ will have our way with them both, you would do well to hand them over to _us_." This came from three women in synchronization, their grimy faces warped with ghastly savageness, cloak barely pulled up.

The people - if defilers of eleven year olds could even hold the title - started pressing in. Harry was trembling violently and Ignis hissed, sensing the absolute inhumanness of the situation. But I? I felt absolute calmness and peace, watching as from above as I whipped my dagger out. If this was going to happen then I would go down fighting no matter my absolute lack of power against these beings.

"No, I found them first! I get to have them first at lea-" My original captor screamed out in absolute pain as I swung the blade on instinct. It hacked his hand off.

The dagger met up to my expectations, it was ridiculously sharp and cut through his wrist like soft butter. I proceeded to slash an arc through the crowd before they could pull out their wands, blood spraying as I found a target and Ignis sunk her young fangs in whatever came near her perch on my elevated wrist.

Harry swung his trunk like a hammer. My books spilled and he started chucking that at people when someone managed to rip the trunk out of his grasp.

But our short moment of defense quickly evaporated as they started pulling out their wands.

I saw two figures leave at the sight of my dagger. Interesting.

A figure at the front snarled "So you want it rough, eh? I'll show you rough."

"_Crucio!_"

The most unimaginable pain overcame me. It was like being thrown into lava or having all my body burned by Petunia's stove but far worse, oh so much worse. It felt every fiber of my being and skin was being carved in and stitched again. Over and over again.

This was what true, raw torture felt like.

I do not know if I screamed. It might have been Harry's screech to stop, to put him under the curse instead of me. I knew my pride didn't want me to let out screams raw with pain, I didn't want to twitch in agony, I wanted to lie still and laugh in the caster's face. But I knew that isn't how it happened.

In the end perhaps I didn't scream, after what felt like eons or minutes it stopped. When I regained my senses, the first thing I noticed was a trickle down my chin. Blood from where I had viciously bit my lip in futile attempts to stay silent.

Looking around me, I noticed how the caster was on his knees, vomiting what looked suspiciously like intestines, blood spilling all over his white trimmings at the bottom of his robes, the thing that made me recognize him as the source of my distress.

Another figure stood above him, cloaked in the deepest of black, hood so low it was completely impossible to see his features even if up close. I wondered how he could even see through that thing.

Harry helped my quivering form up, having to catch me as I swayed and nearly fell down at the same time I felt the new person's eyes on me.

As my torturer gave a last heave and collapsed, I came to a chilling realization. The only reason why I was not mad from the curse and Harry dead, or both of us harmed, was because of this unsettling rescuer, who had killed the crucio caster in the worst of ways. Making himself no better than his victim.

He seemed to have a good amount of authority, for the rest of mine and Harry's future rapists appeared to be frozen and listening to him.

"Do I make myself clear? I will know if something happens to the girl, and you will face my _wrath_ if you even _touch_ her!" The voice was male, high and cold, it gave me the feeling that being saved by this person gave me and my brother more danger...

"She is mine to finish." He breathed out, but everyone still heard him. Despite his quietnesses, the statement scared me more than anything else that had occurred during the night.

To finish? That didn't sound promising.

"_Avada Kedavra!_"

To fast for me to comprehend, green light hit the original man that was going to take us. He had been curled up in a ball by my feet, clutching at his severed hand when he was impacted. His sniveling stopped immediately, no longer having a heartbeat.

The flash of the light struck something in me, a type of familiarity with it. Looking over at Harry's pale face, he seemed to be thinking along the same lines as my eyes met with a pair of identical irises, my fears and hollowness reflected in them.

Without warning, many pops were heard around the alley, boots thundering against the pavement.

"Aurors! Stay where you are and put your hands in the air, wands on the ground!" A voice roared.

The man that just cast a killing curse, moved quickly to my side. Like a striking snake, he was in front of me and seized my arm. Right where the first attacker had grabbed me.

But worst of all, a striking pain, much like a migraine hit me like an avalanche. I went to clutch my forehead but my other hand was occupied by gripping onto Harry's shoulder. My legs could not support me before, but this increased it ten-fold.

Flinching violently, I struggled against his hold. He might have growled but he considerably loosened his grip nonetheless. Though the pain in my head did not vanish, I realized it was emanating from my scar.

Why I would think he had to do with the pain mystified me. It came as a gut feeling but I pushed it away, it was nonsense. Physical contact with someone could not cause headaches, especially of this severity. Right?

Pulled back to earth, I heard him snarl. "Light side." His voice dripping with spite.

"What? Let me go! And I want my stuff!"

If I could have seen him, he would have been giving me a murderous glare. But alas I didn't see him, only my books and trunks flying towards Harry and I at a wave of his hand, slamming into us. If it had not been for his hold, I would have toppled over from the force, me already unsteady enough.

It was chaos, everyone was running, trying to get out, never once doing what the "auror" said.

By the looks of it, it would seem they were the wizarding police, alerted that something very bad was going on. Shame they had been far too late to prevent anything from happening.

However a thought struck me: I was apparently famous, for defeating a dark lord. It would not do well, for the poster girl of light was caught in this place. Not to mention Hagrid would never let me out of his sight again.

As much as I would like to stay and point out my tormentors, I let myself be guided by "the cloak" and Harry.

I doubt the cloak - as I started calling my savior, who happened to be a killer at the same time, quite ironic to be both of them - would let me go anyway. He did not seem like the type to be swayed by petty reassurances like Hagrid.

He managed to slip us past most of the chaos, with figures dressed in red and blue chasing after pedestrians- who were far from guiltless- clearly the aurors since the others seemed not know what color was.

We arrived at the exit, Diagon Alley's dim lighting in the night igniting hope of actually getting out of here without death or an atrocity being committed on my person or Harry's, when I spotted a figure blocking our route, much like earlier on.

Only this time the cloak was with us, while he might have a plan the same as the others only more subtle, a feeling of safety being with him entrapped me. I by no means trusted him, quite the opposite. I felt a sense of danger with him and fear of being cursed the second I turned my eyes from him.

But he was powerful, that I knew full proof. The air around him seemed to crackle with peril and magic, dark and dangerous but it still drew me in. Much like Dudley, seeing a burger that would surely harm his health, but still going for it.

He had not harmed us - yet. But he was our only chance of escape. This he was about to prove.

"You can't pass, state your nam-"

"_Confundus_." His voice was more of a hiss but the auror's eyes immediately glazed over.

"You never saw us, you will let us pass and you will forget about this encounter." He sounded clinical and my eyes turned as wide as saucers as the wizarding policeman started repeating what he said.

The cloak dragged us onto Diagon Alley, not saying a word, none of us spoke.

But then I collapsed. Harry screamed. And yet I could not keep going on.

I was terrified, my torture, my headache, my near abuse, _Harry's_ endangerment. My panic finally caught up with me and I started screaming.

The cloak cast a spell on me, wingardium leviosa, I think, and I started to float while my purchases shrunk. It would have been exhilarating had it not been for my delirious state but the shadow of weightlessness would always be remembered by my subconscious.

Looking at the sky, I saw the moon, the light in the darkness and wondered why it had failed this time. It had failed and it failed massively. How could it have allowed the near occurrence of what would have happened to us? Why did the task fall to a murderer the same as the others?

I felt an arm encircle my body, and a squeezing sensation engulfed me, suffocating me, before I fell into the dark abyss of unconsciousness.

OoOoooOoooOoooOoo

It felt like going through a straw. It was the most uncomfortable sensation he had felt, worse even than being in a choke hold by Dudley.

Harry fell flat on his face and contained vomiting. He would have vomited if it hadn't been for his mind screaming for him to check on Ezra, to take her away from the hold of the other male.

He was walking towards him, suddenly he found his arms full of Ezra's body, badly bruised and Harry noticed how she had many bruises, the enchantment she had managed to cast on herself this morning fading. Probably from the overwhelming torture. The thought itself made him want to cry out in despair.

"Next time, do not let her go. If I have to show up again I won't be so merciful." The outright sharpness and hostility shocked him. Maybe everyone in Knockturn Alley was mad. He didn't know what he and Ezra had done for this person practically drip with hate when speaking to them, but he wasn't sure he wanted to get to know whoever lay beneath that cloak.

"I really can't tell her what not to do, to be honest, she does what she wants." Only the breeze of the night continued. Or maybe it was nearing dawn? The sky did seem a bit more lighted.

The man started to do a little twist but Harry stopped him.

"Who are you?" He should have expected him to ignore him. He had only milliseconds to stop him from popping away the same way they had popped to Surrey. How did he even know where they lived? He felt bare to know how much access of information the wizarding world had.

"Thank you for saving us."

A slight cackle was what he received. But at least that had stopped his motions...

A hissing noise like the one Ezra did and he was gone.

The entire encounter left him disconcerted but he knew he had to move. The second the man left, the luggage and purchases appeared near his feet, now to normal size. The man was sneaky, Harry hadn't even noticed when he discarded them.

The Dursley's were not going to be happy. The task of dragging a dead looking Ezra with a ton of luggage felt like a boulder of exhaustion slammed into him. He didn't know if they would even let them in.

As he went to adjust Ezra in his arms, leaving the luggage behind for a second trip, her snake, Ignis slipped out of her sleeve, the mysterious dagger Ezra had fought with, in between her coils and Ezra's arm.

He knew he would have to go over it with her. She probably didn't have time in the bookstore but left it to her to find an artifact that would magically float and stab her under cover of the night.

Not that it could while she "slept," she sleepwalked. It still left a tinge of terror when he remembered what she had revealed to him of the night by the ocean. She could have died, or did according to her but he wasn't there so he wouldn't know.

He hated the helplessness that consumed him, she had been in danger, two times in less than 24 hours and he had been able to do anything. He had felt his soul being ripped with grief as he watched her sink her teeth into her lip, trying not to scream from the curse but letting out occasional shrieks of utter agony.

Harry shook his head, whenever he thought about it, it made him want to bawl. No matter how much Dudley's TV shows said a man didn't cry.

He needed to be strong for both of them now, especially when facing infuriated Dursley's.

Life would be hell from here on and he would not be weak little Harry who had to watch his sister be tortured.

He took a deep breath and knocked thrice.

OoOoooOoooOoooOoo

Light. Why did it have to be so bright? What was it?

I ever so slowly became aware of my surroundings.

Where am I? _Who_ am I?

I appeared to be in a small room with one bed, sheets strewn all over the floor and broken toys beside them.

I could be in danger. That was the only thing I knew. Danger. Inexplicable, horrible danger and black cloaks.

What if the sources of danger walked through that door? Well I would be prepared.

I noticed a medium sized dagger slightly tucked at the end of the bed. When I pulled it out, I saw it was about a foot and a half long. It was surprisingly light considering large diamonds that looked like pools of black water when light was reflected upon them. Crusted blood was on the blade.

"_Massster, is your human body better now?_" The voice of something shocked me, I hadn't seen anyone and I had checked well. It had said human body so it wasn't human...

A small snake was slithering its way from under the covers. It had big red eyes with a black stripe going down its middle. It would become a very impressive snake when it was fully grown.

Nevertheless, I was still alarmed of it speaking. "Snakes can speak?"

"_Massster?_"

The door started creaking open and I gripped the dagger tighter. With wide eyes I saw a small boy with hunched shoulders limp in.

When he saw me, surprise and delight entered his features, I _knew_ this boy, but I didn't know how.

Glancing down at my dagger, no longer seeming to be needed, I noticed how my eyes were the exact shade of his. Fascinating.

"You're awake." He breathed. That was odd, why wouldn't I be awake?

He launched himself at me, my instincts told me to move away but my body protested and I wasn't able to move away in time.

It had seemed before he had come to strike me but it was only a gentle hug, one that did not harass the intense pain coursing through my entirety.

The soft skin, the skinny arms that made contact with my torn and multi-colored skin made me cry out and clutch my head.

But it wasn't the first time I had cried out recently, was it? And this boy wasn't just any boy, he was my brother.

"Harry." Was the only thing I was able to croak out before I bowed down, groaning.

The pain seemed to intensify with the memories, it was reliving everything, since my first memories to last night. To the cloak. To the crucio. To the peril.

Harry and Ignis were both worriedly staring at me. But what I saw was multiple bruises on Harry's face, the way he tenderly grasped his arm.

"Harry... you're hurt." He let out a bark of laughter, bordering hysteria.

"You think _I'm_ hurt? Look at yourself!"

I turned to look into a cracked and dirty mirror and regretted it immediately.

I could do without the image of me looking like a corpse, thank you very much.

My form was quavering, my right eye was nearly swollen shut and it looked as if someone had chucked a bucket of greens, purples, blues, and blacks, at my face, each having their own unique shade. No scratch that, my _entire_ form seemed to have gone through the same treatment.

Finger imprints here and there, blood matting my hair in the front and back with some bruises seeming fresh and others in the start of healing, gashes and scrapes everywhere.

I could not have collected the vast amount of wounds in only one incident. It seemed I had developed a bad habit for running into appalling circumstances and it was a habit I really needed to break or else I would spend more time of my life unconscious than learning, or more importantly going to Hogwarts.

Wait, Hogwarts?

"Hogwarts! Harry _Hogwarts_! Oh why am I so _stupid_, we go to Hogwarts in _two_ days and look at me, I can barely stand and you look like you had slammed headfirst into the Wall of China."

He seemed dumbfounded by my sudden outburst but horror started to remodel his face.

"So that's what they meant..."

"What? Who?"

"Vernon and Petunia were laughing when they saw us last night, I guess what was funny was the possibility of not going to the school."

Ah, the Dursley's. Annoying but they didn't concern me, I needed to find what I did on the beach to cover the damage on my body and Harry's. It would not be well if the saviors were seen like this. We had managed to escape... thanks to the darkness covering my scar, and the cloak.

"Harry, are you seriously thinking about the Dursley's in this situation?"

"Well," he trailed off, looking abashed all of the sudden.

"Never mind that, what happened to the cloak?"

"The _what_?"

"The creep that saved us, and where are our stuff we bought anyway?"

"They locked it up," I didn't even need to contemplate who _they_ were. "He popped us in front of the house - quite an uncomfortable trip might I add - and left."

I knew trying to find him was pointless, he obviously hadn't told Harry who he was and for all I knew, he could be Hagrid with a charm to disguise him.

Hagrid having a double life. It did not seem likely but I had learned to be prepared for the worst and the unexpected, first-hand.

But Harry was too abrupt, there was more.

"Harry, what else?"

"He made that hissing noise you do. But it could have just been nothing!"

He seemed to desperately want to think that. Another person knowing a rare language was adding to the pile of weirdness. The past events had strung us out and we really didn't want something else, but then again, when had our wishes ever been fulfilled?

"_It's not hissing! It's parssseltounge._" Ignis sounded exceedingly offended but it struck an idea in me.

"What did he say?"

"_Your spongy said thanksss for saving you and him_."

I was too concentrated on her words to correct her on calling Harry by his name.

"_Yes, and?_"

She seemed to stall for a dramatic effect.

"_He said: You will wish I hadn't later on._"

**Reviews welcome.**


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